Running-gear for vehicles



No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. E, GARBBTSON.

RUNNING vGEAR FOR" VEHICLES:

31.323933. Patented 001;. 27, 1335 f fjay. l

bia Attorneys 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Mudel.)

G. E. GARRETSON.l RUNNING GEAR PoR VEHICLES.

Patented Oct. 27, 1885. y. 5.

- WITJVEAS'SES I ha l, .mamew UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.' f

GEORGE ERNSHAW GARRETSON, OF RUSSELLVILLE, KENTUCKY.

RuNNlNe-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,933, dated October27, 1885.

Application tiled August 3, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LGEORGE E. GARRETsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Russellville, in the county of Logan and State of Kentucky,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Running-Gear for Vehicles,of which the following is a specication,reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention has relation to improvements in running-gear for vehicles,especially adapted for use in connection with buggies or light wagons;and the novelty consists in the peculiar construction, combination, andarrangement of the various parts for service, substantially ashereinafter fully set forth,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to combine simplicity, durability, andstrength of construction in a running-gear for vehicles of the side-barclass with cheapness of manufacture, capability of ready detachment ofthe various parts for repairing, and the necessary resiliency of thesprings when traveling on rough roads or streets.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure l is a top plan view of arunning-gear embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 4 is a detached detail view of thehead-block or plate ,of the front axle, showing the means for pivotingthe said axle and connecting the perch or reach and springs thereto.Fig. 5 is a detached detail view of the manner in which the rear end ofthe perch or reach and springs are connected to the rear axle. Fig. 6 isa detailed sectional view of the front end of the reach or vperch andaxle, showing the means for permitting the reach or perch to slide orrecede under a heavy pressure on the springs.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

y Referring to the drawings, A A designate the front and rear axlesrespectively, connected together by a perch or pole, B, as will be morefully described presently, the rear axle, A', being arranged on a planeslightly above the plane of the front axle, and braced against lateralplay or displacement by side braces,0 G,which are bolted or otherwiseconnected at their front ends to opposite sides of the perch-pole atabout the middle thereof,

Serial No. 173,454. (No model.)

and at their rear ends said braces are secured or bolted to the rearaxle, A', by means of clips or bolts, a brace being arranged on eachside of the perch-pole and connected thereto and to the outer ends ofthe said axle, as described.

D D designate the springs, of any preferred construction, said springsbeing arranged on each side of the perch-pole B, at a short distancetherefrom, and running nearly parallel therewith, the springs hereinshown having `each an upwardly-curved central portion, del, arrangedconsiderably above the plane of the perch-pole and axles. The front andrear ends of each spring D are located below the plane of the curvedportion d thereof, and extend each other and" constituting a singlecasting for lightness and strength and simplicity. The body e has acentral aperture or opening therein for the passage of a king-bolt, E',having a nut, E2, which bears against the lower surface of the body e,said bolt Ffserving as the pivot on which the front axle turns.

The bolt E' passes through the body e, the

axle, a bearing-plate, E3, secured on the `up'- per face of the axle bymeans of bolts passed through side arms E* thereof, and an upperbearing-plate, E5, adapted to bear on its lower 'surface on the plateE3, and receive on its upper surface the head of the king-bolt E. Theplate E5 has projecting ears or lugsh h,arranged parallel with thelug eand platee3 of the headblock E, said lugs h h being perforated for thepassage of securing-bolts h h', the upper headed ends Vof which bear onthe lugs h h, while the lower screw-threaded ends thereof are passedthrough apertures formed in the lug-e2 and plate e3 fortheir reception,and receive securi ng-nuts h2 h2, which bear on the lower surface ofsaid lug c2 and plate e3, thus securely and firmly connecting theseveral parts toroo gether, while permitting of the axle turning fthereon in the movements required to .turn

corners or angles. The outer ends of the side arms e to which the frontends of the springs D are connected, are cut away to provide a pin-0rbearing, around which the ends of the springs may be bent or pivoted, soas to lie flush with the upper surface ofthe remaining portion of thearms e', the springs being prevented from becoming disengaged ormisplaced llaterally by means of nuts e2, fitted or screwed on thescrew-threaded pin or bearing of the arms d, thus providing a simple,strong, and efficient connection vfor the front ends of the springs D.

The rearwardly-projecting plate e3 is of considerable length, and fitsagainst the lower surface of the reach or perch-pole B. This plateextends to a point at or near the middle of fthe perch-pole to provide alarge area of bearing-surface therefor.

The -reach is freeto slide or recede from the front axle when any unduestrain or weigh-t comes upon the` springs DD, said reach being providedwith downwardly-projecting bolts i, which pass therethrough and work inlongitudinal slots t" i', formed in the plate e3, near the ends thereof,a packing or lling of leather or any other suitable material, I, beingarranged between the meeting surfaces of the reach and plate to deaden77the noise incident vupon the movement of the bearing-surfaces of Jthereach and plate.

The rear plate, F, is of a greater length tha-n the head-block E, and issecured upon the lowe-r surface of the rear axle at the middle thereofby means of clips or bolts F, the outer ends yof said plate being bentdownwardly, as at f, and having a reduced or cut-away portionto providea pin or bearing, f', around which the rear ends of the springs D D arebent Vor pivoted in a manner similar to the` front ends thereof, andprevented from becoming disengaged by nuts f2, screwed on the.

screw-threaded outer vends of said bearingsf.

The rear end of the perch-pole B terminates 1 pins or a shortdistancefrom the rear axle, and is proj a bent Yor curved portion, fg', and ati-ts rear@ end said .plate -is clipped or bolted to the under surfaeeofthe -rear axle, as clearly shown.

H H designate longi-tudinal side bars, arranged above and at one side ofleach of the;l springs D D, to which bars the body Yof veg? hicle,whether a wagon or buggy, is secured Iby any proper means-as, forinstance, -the body may fbe bolted or clipped in the vusuali waydirectly to the bars, or it may have `transi verse bars at its front andrear ends, which;l project-beyondthe sides thereof and are bolted orclipped to said side bars, as is obvious.

J J J2 designate transverse supporting or holding bars, 'arranged aboutthe middle ofthe perch, above the same, and extending transverselyacross the pole, as shown, said bars being bolted or clipped near theirouter ends to the elevated curved portion of the side springs, D D, onwhich they rest and are supported thereby. The middle bar, J, ispreferably made straight, while the outer ends of each of the bars J J 2are curved outwardly, as at j, and away from each other, the extremeouter ends of each of the bars J J J2 being reduced or cut away, as atj2, and fitting under the side bars, H, to which they are secured bymeans of bolts or clips 7c, having securingvnuts k.

Between the lower surface of each of the bars YJ J2 J and the nuts k isarranged a plate, L, bent as at Z, and secured. at its ends to the lowersurface Vof the side bars, H, by bolts vor otherwise, aplate beingprovided for each side bar, as clearly shown.

The side. bars are connected together to pre;- I

vent displacement'or play thereof, and add strength thereto, by crossbraces or bars M M, one being secured at each side of the bars J J' J2and to the bars H at its opposite ends and on the under surfaces of saidbars H by bolts or otherwise.

It will be observed that the necessary re'- siliency is imparted to thebody of the vehiele by the movement of the springs, which are pivoted attheir ends, as described, to allow -the middle curved portions to giveto a greater degree and allow a greater range of movement thereofwithout affecting the perch-pole; but when any undue weight or strain isimposed on said springs they are forced down still lower, and theperch-pole is caused to slide upon the plate by being drawn backward bythe rear ends of the springs forcing the rear axle backward, thusimposing a portionof the ICO vgreatest strain upon the perch -pole andrelieving the springs from a portion of the weight, the sliding movementof the perchpole separating the axles to a farther distance apart thantheir normal position, andallowing a further downward movement ofthesprings. A running-gear constructed in accordance f with my inventionpossesses great durability and strength, is simple in construction,4efficient -in operation, can be readily taken apart for repairing,Snc., and by reason of its great simplicity and freedom from complexmechanisms it can be vrepaired by any ordinary blacksmith orcarriage-repairer.

lThe middle portions of each of the supporting-bars J J J2 fit or abutagainst each other,

and are 'bolted together by a through-bolt, m,

having a nut, m.

I am aware that heretofore it has been proposed to provide a wagon witha tubular portion rigidly secured to the rear axle and extending ynearlyto the front axle and havin glimiting screws, a pole rigidly connectedto the 5 fifth-wheel of the front axle and free to slide and rotate insaid tubular portion of the rear axle. said pole having limitingrecessed por- IIO IIS

tions in which the set-screws work, also, that it is not new to connectthe springs pivotally to the axles.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In ajrunninggear, the combination of the axles, plates e F, rigidlybolted to said axles and having reduced supporting-arms, side springs,D, pivotally connected to said axle-plates at the reduced ends thereof,a slotted plate, e3, formed with the plate e of the front axle, aperch-pole, rigidly secured to the rear axle and resting and free toslide upon the slotted plate e3, through-bolts ,to connect said pole andplate together and limit the movement of the pole, and a packing, I, ofleather interposed between the pole and plate e3, as set forth.

2. In a running-gear, the combination of the axle, side springs arrangedparallel with each other, a perch-pole, a head-block, pivotallyconnected with the axle and having side arms, e, to which the ends ofthe springs are connected, an upper bearing-plate secured upon the axle,a plate adapted to bear on the upperplate and connected to thehead-block, and a king-bolt passing through the bearingplat-es, axle,and head-block, substantially as described.

3. Ina running-gear, the combination,with the rear axle and the sidesprings, of a plate boltedto the under side of the axle, and having abent arm at each side, provided with a bearing for the rear end of oneof the said springs, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a running-gear, the combination,with the axles ,a perchpole, andthe side springs, of a plate secured to the under surface of each axle,and having lateral arms provided with bearings for the ends of the saidsprings, which are pivotally connected thereto, as set forth.

5. In a running-gear, the combination of the axles, the side springs, aperch-pole rigidly connected at its rear end to the axle and adapted toslide at its front end, a plate secured to the rear axle and havingbearings for the rear ends of the springs, and a headblock pivotallysecured to the front axle and provided with eud bearings for thesprings, and a plate having slots adapted to receive the front end ofthe perch-pole and its securing-bolts, substantially as described.

6. In a running-gear, the combination of the side springs, thetransverse supportingbars bolted together at their middle and to theelevated portions of the side springs, and parallel side bars bolted tothe outer ends of the transverse supporting-bars and adapted to supportthe vehicle-body, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ERNSHAW GARRETSON.

Witnesses:

B. F. FUGUE, W. S. GAMBILL.

